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“There’s nothing worse than trying your hardest and playing like @#%… I did it for a few weeks now, and it sucked.” - Xander Schauffele. Credit where credit is due, my completely unaware nemesis Alex from Golf Digest tipped me off to this quote. It was simply too good to not use.
Searching for the spice
EVERYONE'S "FIXING" THE FEDEX CUP
The PGA Tour season officially concludes this week as the top 30 square off in Atlanta for the Tour Championship aka The FedEx Cup. The biggest update this year is that there are no longer starting strokes so it's more or less like any other golf tournament.
On one hand, I get it. The winner of the yearlong season of stroke play events should probably be crowned by another stroke play event. Teams don't reach the Super Bowl and suddenly are asked to play in a Punt, Pass & Kick competition.
On the other hand, BORING.
And golf content creators and media everywhere agree. Many putting out their own versions of what the Tour Championship should be.
My favorite by far came courtesy of Jamie Kennedy at Golf Digest who proposed a 24-man match play March Madness style bracket. The top 8 seeds get a first round bye and the remaining 16 play their opening round matches on Wednesday. The Sweet 16 would be Thursday, Elite Eight on Friday, Final Four on Saturday, and Championship on Sunday.
His pitch for the single match on Sunday is if the vibe on-site and in the broadcast amped up the drama. Allow the fans to walk the course behind them like the US Amateur does. Throw a couple drones and enhanced broadcast cameras around knowing they only need to get coverage of the two players. I don't hate it but I also think you could easily continue the other matches in a consolation bracket to help sort through all the finishing positions and money payouts.
And to answer the objections to a finals without star power, he simulated the last two years of brackets using the actual round by round scores from '23 and '24. 2024 had a final four of Scheffler, Lowry, Adam Scott, and Morikawa with Morikawa and Scheffler in the finals. And 2023 featured an even better final four of Scheffler, Rahm, Hovland, and Homa with Scheffler and Hovland in the finals. Not bad.
My other counter to the finals not having star power is... that is a risk in literally every sport. Tennis you occasionally get a plucky underdog going deep but for the most part you'll get one of the top players in the finals every time. College basketball it's the same thing, FAU and San Diego State made the Final Four in 2023... but all #1 seeds made the finals this season.
I don't know who I need to petition, but the gambling and office pools alone make this worth exploring.
"Relatable" moment alert
TIGER BEING TIGER
Easily the best moment from the pre-event pressers this week came from Justin Thomas who was asked about his favorite memory from East Lake.
“Probably my best memory, it would have been 2020,” Thomas said. “I remember playing here, playing a practice round and walking down 18 and FaceTiming Tiger and, because he wasn’t here and didn’t qualify, just showing him how the course was and how great it was, and then he acted like his phone cut out and then he called me back two minutes later with [the Masters] green jacket on."
Incredible. Also, there is literally nothing about this story I can relate to. Playing a practice round, talking to Tiger, or even the concept of FaceTiming anyone while I'm mid-round.
JT continued; “I remember that very, very, very vividly. Just a typical conversation of thinking I am having some kind of upper edge, and I get shut down and put in my place pretty quickly.”
East Lake Creator Classic: Year Two
STILL FINDING THEIR SEA LEGS
The Creator Classic is the influencer/content creator tournament sponsored by the PGA Tour and YouTube. It began last year at the Tour Championship and had a few other editions during the Tour season.
This week, the field featured 12 creators including Bad Birdie's very own Micah Morris! Brad Dalke was crowned champion in a playoff, sinking his winning putt just seconds before the warning siren blared to call off play due to inclement weather. A true buzzer beater—for $100,000.
The biggest storyline for me was the dip in viewership from 118,000 live viewers in 2024 to 27,000 this year. Numbers not all that far off from LIV if we're being honest. And while I guarantee I made a similar point last season—the live viewers doesn't feel like it's the right lens to view success through.
It continues to baffle me how anyone expects PGA Tour audiences (those primed and in love with traditional PGA broadcasts and players) to care about 12 YouTube personalities. And similarly, why would anyone expect the YouTube personalities and their audiences to want to watch a 3 hour long live broadcast. The entire reason these people are famous and relevant is because they shoot their own content and edit it however they see fit. Round pegs... meet square holes.
Just let them all cut their own YouTube videos. Play the match the week before the Tour arrives so crowds won't spoil the results. Then watch the 12 creators all battle it out for viewers—I'd be FASCINATED to see how each would put their own spin on how they tell the story. Fans could watch their favorites on a friendly broadcast—similar to people who watch the local broadcasts of their favorite teams for completely biased announcers and coverage.
A gut reaction first take
RYDER CUP TEAMS—ASSEMBLE!
We have our first taste of what the two Ryder Cups will actually be as the automatic qualifiers have been decided for Team USA and Team Europe's bids will be locked in following the British Masters this week.
Here is who we know will be on each team so far—and my quick reaction to the 1-6 advantages for each.
TEAM USA
1) Scottie—who's qualified about three times over points-wise
2) JJ—your US Open champion
3) Xander—thanking the golf gods it's a two year qualification process
4) Russell Henley—never great when I have to write both first and last names because I'm not 100% sure that everyone would know who I meant if I wrote Russell.
5) Harris English—see comment for Russell
6) Bryson—no notes, so pumped for the Bryson effect
TEAM EUROPE
1) Rory
2) Bobby Mac
3) Tommy
4) Rose
5) Tyrell
6) Lowry*—not officially qualified as Sepp Straka and Rasmus Hojgaard are only a few points behind
HEAD-TO-HEAD ADVANTAGES
Scottie v. Rory—Adv. Scottie. Sure, they hold 3 of the 4 majors—but Scottie is running on an all-time heater still so he gets the edge.
JJ v. Bobby Mac—Adv. Bobby. JJ's had himself a year, but I love how stealy Bobby is and when he pointed to the grand stands during the BMW last week after draining a putt I knew he'll be locked in for the even more hostile Bethpage crowds.
Xander v. Tommy—Adv. Tommy. One year ago, this was a wash at best for Tommy. But he's knocking on the door seemingly every weekend and Xander ain't right.
Russell Henley v. Rose—Draw. While I make fun of his lack of fame, Russell has been on a run himself over past few months and I think could give the always tough Rose a match. No runaway favorite here for me.
Harris English v. Tyrell—Adv. Tyrell. I refuse to believe that Harris English is a Top 5 US player. It's blatantly unfair to him and the quality of play he's had to maintain to get himself here. But gut reaction is that Tyrell would bite his head off if given the chance.
Bryson v. Lowry (et al.)—Adv. Bryson. Put any name on the other spot. Bryson is going to be electric at this Ryder Cup. Anything less than total domination and I won't have it.
Back of the napkin math gives Europe the early edge and betting markets agree. But everyone says it's nearly impossible to win away from home so hoping the US team can pull one out of the bag for us.
